Flower holder



May 29, 1956 P. F. n ERBG'UTH FLOWER HOLDER I Y {Filed March 5.,.;=1s 53} IN V EN TOR.

PAUL E K. ERBGUTH q vik m 11 A United States Patent FLOWER HOLDER Paul F. K. Erbguth, Great Neck, N. Y.

Application March 5, 1953, Serial No. 340,579

4 Claims. (Cl. 47-41) This invention relates to a holder for flowers and other articles which are to be retained in a substantially upright position for the purpose of observation or ready access.

The object of the invention is to provide a holder for flowers, pens, pencils and like unitary objects which are preferably displayed in single or multiple numbers. A further object is to provide in such a device a secure fastening means for attachment to a surface to insure against displacement and tipping, but nevertheless permitting ready removal thereof without marring or disfiguring such surface.

A more specific object is the provision of a novel flower holder comprising a pair of spaced members each provided with a plurality of holes, a finger-operable post passing through the spaced members, a suction cup carricd by the post and adapted for attachment to a flat surface, one of said spaced members including edges contacting the flat surface when the holder is secured thereto.

These and other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description when taken with the accompanying drawings illustrating a flower holder made in accordance with my invention. A

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote like parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a top view of the device;

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken along the line 22 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

The frame portions of the device are preferably made of a thermoplastic material, such as cellulose acetate, Lucite, Vinylite and the like, heated and bent to the desired configuration. Other materials, such as thermosetting plastics, metals and glass are also suitable.

The top or upper member 1, formed of a suitable sheet of thermoplastic material, while in flat condition, is

molded, punched or drilled with a series of apertures 2.

distributed in pre-determined arrangement over substantially the entire surface of the top member. The top member is then bent or bowed under the influence of heat to the desired contour to provide a substantially rigid member, which, however, is resilient under the ordinary conditions of use. The end portions of the top member 1 are provided with two broad, downwardly extending feet or supports 3 upon which the device is intended to rest along a line contact for a suitable distance. In Fig. 2 the device is illustrated in engagement with the inside face of the glass bowl 4. A normally flat lower member 5 is likewise disposed intermediate the supports 3 of the top member 1 and provided with a series of holes 6 which are generally aligned with the apertures 2 in said top member. The lower or intermediate member 5, which is also made of a thermoplastic, is provided with lugs 7, two on each end thereof, which fit through slots 8 in the supports 3 and are bent downwardly over the exterior surfaces thereof, thereby positioning the intermediate member below the top member 1.

A rubber suction cup 10 is attached to the post 11 and is positioned below the intermediate member 5 with itslower edge normally lying near the plane of the loweredges 9. The post 11 comprises the sleeve 12 which is: inserted and cemented in the shank 13 of the cup 10,. the shoulder 14 which fits against the central portion of the member 5, around the hole 16 and the stem 15 which is cemented into recesses in the post 11 and in the sleeve 12. The post at its lower edge has a greater diameter than the hole 16 resulting in the material of the member 5, around the hole 16, being confined between the shoulders: 14 and the edge of the post 11 overlying the hole 16.

When the holder is intended to be used for supporting: cut flowers in a dish 4, it is placed therein with the feet or edges 9 of the supports 3 resting on the inner surface of the dish. Downward pressure is then applied to the topof the post 11 which causes the suction cup to attach it self to the inner surface of the dish. Inasmuch as the intermediate member 5 is firmly embraced between the post 11 and the sleeve 12, pressure on the post causes flexing or bowing of the intermediate member 5, as illustrated in Fig. 2, which in turn places a downward pressure on the elongated lower edges of the supports 3 and presses such edges against the inner surface of the bowl. Upon release of the downward pressure on the post 11, the bowed position of the intermediate member 5 is retained by the downward pull of the suction cup 10 which is attached to the inner surface of the bowl bottom.

The supports 3 are spaced a suitable distance apart, greater than the diameter of the suction cup, in order that the device is securely supported against tilting. The suction cup, per se, does not support the device, its function being to pull the device securely against the supporting surface.

The edges 9 of the supports 3 preferably are elongated to provide a line contact of support. In fact, the length of each of the edges 9 is greater than the diameter of the suction cup in order that the device is supported, not on the suction cup per se, but on the substantially rigid supports 3. Inasmuch as the suction cup is centrally located in respect to the intermediate member 5, the pull therefrom is distributed to the edges 9 on both sides of the suction cup.

The device is extremely sturdy and will resist movement or tipping even though a large number of longstemmed flowers are carried by the device with substantial portions thereof extending above the top surface of the top member 1. These advantages result from the fact that the extreme outer edges of the supports are a relatively large distance apart, not only in respect of the outer edges of each end support, but also in respect of the relation of the outer edges of the opposite supports and also upon the fact that the suction cup is located inside of the outer edges and substantially centrally of the device, acting only as an attaching member under slight upward pull when in use. The suction cup does not carry any of the load of the device or of articles carried by the, device. In other words, the suction cup is an anchor but: not a load carrying support. It has in fact been found that when a suction cup, having about 1 /2 inches diam. eter, is secured to the inside surface of a glass flower bowl, by pressure on the post 11 against the resiliency of the intermediate member 5, it is diflicult to detach the suction cup by upward pull on the post.

The flower holder can be removed from the bowl by forcibly tilting the device so as to rock the suction cup and thereby break the vacuum. However, to facilitate t the removal of the device the lower portion of the suction cup is connected to a handle 17 which parallels the stem 11 and passes through two aligned apertures, the.. lower edge thereof carrying a rubber lip or lug 18 cemented or otherwise attached to the edge portion of the cup- 10. When it is desirous to remove the holder, particularly whenitcarriesa large number of. flowers, the handle 17 is pulled upwardly which raises the edge portion of the cup around the lip 18, permitting the entry of water andzbreaking the suction.

Having-nowdescribed my invention inaccordance with the patent statutes what I desire to protect by Letters Patentiin the United'States is set forthin the following claims.

I claim:

1. A flower holder adaped forattachment to a flat surface and comprisingvertically spaced-upper and lower resilient members made ofathermoplastic material, each ofsaidmembers including a central portion'havinga-plurality. of. alined'holesand the upper one of said members having. integralioffsetends extending down to a position belowsthelower member for con-tact with the flat surface; means securing the ends of said member to said downwardly-extending portions of said upper. member; a post havingone end affixed to the lower one of the said membersand the other end extending through acentral hole in theother of said members; a suction cup disposed below said member and secured to the aflixed end of the post, the. edge of saidsuction cupand the edges of the said offsetends. normally lying substantially in'the same plane; the recited arrangement being such that a downward movement ofthe post causes a flexing of the lower member and the attachment of the suction cup to the flat surface, after whichthe holder remains affixed to the surface by reasonof the upward force exerted on the suction cupby the lower member and the downward force exerted against the surface by the said offset ends.

2. The invention asrecited in claim 1, in combination with arod extending through a pair of said alined holes in said resilient members, one end of the rodbeing attached to the suction cup at a point near the edge portion. of said cup to facilitaterelease thereof.-

3. A flower holder adapted for attachment toa flat surfaceandcomprising an arcuate resilient member made of. a thermoplastic material, said member including a plurality of holes and having spaced end portions for contact with the flat surface; a flat, resilient member made of a thermoplastic material and including a plurality of holes, said flat member being spaced below the central portion of said arcuate member, spanning the distance between and having end portions secured to the said spaced end portions of said arcuate member; a post extending through a central hole in the arcuate member and having a lower end secured to the flat member; a suction cup secured to the lower end of the post, the edge of said cup and the edges of the said spaced ends normally lying substantially in a common plane; the recited arrangement being such that a downward movement of the postcauses a flexing of the flat member and attachment of the suction cup to theflat surface, after which the holder remains affixed to the surface by reason of the upward force exerted on the suction cup by the flexed, flat member and the downward force exerted against the surface by the said spaced ends.

4.= The invention as recited in claim 3, in which the flat member has lugs at its ends which fit through slots in the spaced end portions of the arcuate member and extend downwardly over exterior surfaces thereof, there is a lug attached to the edge portion of said cup, and a handle is connected to said lug and extends upwardly along said post to a point above said arcuate member, for manual operation to conveniently release said cup from suct-ional engagement with said fiat surface.

References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 145,868 Fletcher Nov. 5, 1946 903,545 Crossett Nov. 10, 1908 1,513,841 MacDonald Nov. 4, 1924 1,801,835 Andrews Apr. 21, 1931 1,989,952 Thomas Feb. 5, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS 319,554 Great Britain Sept. 26, 1929 335,981 Great Britain Oct. 6, 1930 394,750 Great Britain July 6, 1933 506,373 Great Britain May 26, 1939 

